Official Department for Work and Pensions figures show that the number of people receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with ADHD as their main condition has risen by 40 per cent since Labour took office, from 71,528 in July 2024 to 100,207 in April 2026. The figures matter because PIP is paid on top of most other benefits and carries no requirement to look for work, making it a flashpoint in the wider political row over Britain's rising welfare bill.

The data shows that 45 per cent of these claimants received the top rate of both the daily living and mobility components, worth £194.60 a week, and that more than half were aged 16 to 24. The report comes as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pressed Labour to cut welfare spending to fund defence, and as disability minister Stephen Timms prepares an interim report from his review of PIP, saying there is a "strong case" for changing how assessments are conducted. The Government tried to tighten PIP eligibility last year but abandoned the plans after a backbench revolt.